


All Sharp Edges and Soft Touches

by BatWingsandBlackCats



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Angst, F/F, Fluff, Hogwarts, Thestrals, basically everything is canon to Carmilla (web series) just transplanted into Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 16:22:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4312092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatWingsandBlackCats/pseuds/BatWingsandBlackCats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carmilla likes to visit the thestrals that inhabit the Forbidden Forest on the edge of the school grounds. She finds them comforting, that a beast only seen by eyes that have seen death can be so gentle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Sharp Edges and Soft Touches

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to Window To The Past off the Prisoner of Azkaban soundtrack (my harry potter kick is still going strong) and I started to wonder about what a relationship between Carmilla and the thestrals would be like. Apologies for any spelling errors, and if the German bit is off. I used google translate, so it probably is. I'm a little iffy about this one, but i hope you guys enjoy :)  
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!

The hazy morning light was just starting to break through the trees of the forbidden forest, illuminating the fog that hung in the air. The sun had barely broken the horizon, so the vast expanse of twisted and knarled trees was still dark save for the flicker of light that found it’s way through creaking and waving branches. Fog hung heavily in the air, tangling in the branches and blanketing the ground and swirling in the cold breeze. Cawing and the occasional echo of hooves and distant calls of any number of creatures could be heard in the distance, keening and howling and grunting and clicking as most of them greeted the rising of the sun. 

A ways past the edge of the forest stood a woman in black. The fog curled around her scuffed and muddy black leather boots, and despite the cold, she didn’t shiver in her motorcycle jacket which hung open on her shoulders, partially hiding a slightly tattered Ramones teeshirt and her Ravenclaw scarf. Worn black jeans sat low on her hips, and her wand, oak and dragon heartstring, stuck out of her back pocket. Wavy, deep brown hair fell in waves over he shoulders, some tucked into her scarf, some not, and her bangs, which were swept to the side, cast rich brown eyes in shadow. Two chunks of raw meat were in her right hand.

She stepped forward slowly, noticing movement in the trees before her. She made a soft purring noise in the back of her throat, and they came a bit closer, but were still wary. They could smell the meat though, and the younger of the two was impatient to see what the woman had. 

A ghost of a smile graced Carmilla’s lips. “Come here, gentle ones, it’s alright,” she whispered, holding the meat out in front of her. 

A soft keening wail came from the bigger thestral, and the mother dipped her head, allowing her young to approach Carmilla. The little thestral came forward on wobbly legs, bounding eagerly towards her. A soft laugh escaped the vampire’s lips, and she held out the smaller of the two pieces of meat for her. The thestral nuzzled into Carmilla’s hand once she’d swallowed the meat, and Carmilla very gently caressed her leathery skin, scratching tenderly under her beak-like jaw. She smiled a little as the thestral bumped her head into her hip. “That’s all I have, little one,” She said softly, “We have to save some for your mother,”

As if the thestral heard her, the mother came closer, gently nuzzling Carmilla’s hair and letting out a soft wail as she begged for the strip of meat. Carmilla held it out to her and wiped her hand on her pants once she took it. She brought her hand up and stroked the mother’s head, smiling again as the mother flapped her wings happily, cocking her head back and forth. Carmilla always marveled at these creatures. So many people thought them to be ugly, to be feared and rejected, these creatures only visible to the ones who have seen death. For so many, all these creatures reminded them of were the wicked things they’d seen, the lives lost and the pain felt. But all Carmilla could see were beautiful, gentle beings. It wasn’t their fault that they could only be seen by eyes that had witnessed death. She patted the little one’s beak gently, speaking softly in German to her. 

She had cried the first time she’d seen one. She had heard talk of them, but she had never seen one until after she was turned. She had been in Styria, running through the woods in her cat form, desperate to run forever and burn the images of the woman’s face she’d just killed from her eyes. That terrified expression that she hadn’t cared about in her red haze, all she had cared about was the red pumping, pumping from her neck and the sweet and fear-tinged taste as it hit the back of her tongue. Maman had laughed and laughed, congratulating Carmilla on her first kill, saying her _diamond girl was learning well_ and to _drink up, darling, you need your strength_. 

Carmilla had heard the wails and cries of the thestrals and stopped dead in her tracks, too terrified to move. She often forgot that she was likely stronger than whatever could possibly come after her. Several had emerged from the trees, curious, and Carmilla had let out her own wail, long and despairing and radiating from her bones and her teeth as she recognized the creatures her father had described. That wail had turned into a sob as she transformed into her small, human body, curling in on herself in the leaves. The youngest had come over, and tentatively nuzzled her head, momentarily causing Carmilla’s sobs to cease, and become heaving breaths as tears ran down her face. The little thestral had nuzzled her cheek this time and his parents slowly came forward. They had surrounded her, recognizing her as also a creature, a herald, an indicator of death. She had sat up slowly, cradling the father’s head in her hand, and gently nuzzling back with her own head. 

Whenever she had to kill, she came back to see the thestrals. They greeted her with keening wails and rusting wings and gentle nudges. She started being more careful when she killed. She was gentle with her victims, hushing them and singing to them and comforting them in any way possible as the light faded from their eyes. She avoided killing when she could, only taking so much and hoping she’d left them alive.   
___________

Laura walked down the path towards the forbidden forest, bundled in her Hufflepuff Quiddich sweatshirt and her scarf, her honey-brown hair blowing in her eyes occasionally. Her wand--holly and unicorn hair--was stuck in a slim leather sheath that was attached to her belt that her father had made her. ( _“Laura, you don’t want to be caught without you wand, what if someone tries to hex you?”_ ) Leaves crunched under her feet, and she nearly tripped, having been distracted by the sunrise. 

In her hand she held two pumpkin pasties wrapped in a cloth napkin, (a perk of the Hufflepuff dormitories being near the kitchens was that the house elves tended to like them, and if the right one was approached, would sometimes sneak students food.) one for her and one for Carmilla. Laura always knew when Carmilla would be down visiting the thestrals. The nights before Carmilla would visit them, she wouldn’t be at their meeting spot by the library. Normally she’d be standing there, back leaning against the wall and her nose buried deep in a thick tome, waiting for Laura so they could kiss each other goodnight.

She hadn’t been there last night.

Laura made her way past the sparse trees on the edge of the forest, going to the small clearing where she knew Carmilla would be. Carmilla had taken her there once, and Laura had visited on her own on occasion.

Carmilla heard soft footfalls behind her, and several snapping twigs. “Morning, cupcake,” she said softly, not turning around. The little thesetral was rubbing on her leg, as she caressed the mother’s face, occasionally scratching her chin. 

Laura had her mouth open in preparation to say Carmilla’s name, but of course the vampire heard her coming a mile away, so she closed her mouth, opting for “Hey,” a moment later. She stopped beside Carmilla, watching the thestrals with gentle eyes. She’d seen them ever since second year. 

Carmilla turned her head to her and smiled softly, though it was almost bittersweet.

“You okay?” Laura asked softly, reaching for Carmilla’s hand. 

Carmilla nodded as she tangled her fingers in Laura’s. “Yeah,”

“You sure?” Laura prompted gently, and this time Carmilla smiled softly. 

“I’m sure, cupcake,” She said gently, turning to kiss Laura tenderly. “Just thinking,” She murmured against her lips. 

Laura smiled a little, stealing another kiss. “Thinking about what?”

“Forever the inquisitive one,” Carmilla sighed, a good-natured smirk playing with the corners of her mouth. She was quiet for a while. “I was thinking about the first time I saw them...so many years ago,” She sighed. “It scared me at first, but I grew to love them. They were always a comfort....all sharp edges, inspiring fear, but underneath, gentle touches....like me,”

Laura watched her with soft, yet sad eyes. Carmilla sounded so achingly, heart wrenchingly, _old_. There were moments where Laura could forget just how long Carmilla had walked this earth, when she would see Carmilla unabashedly cheering for her in the stands during a Quiddich match, or when she was changing the color of Danny’s eyebrows when they were all sitting in the library and Carmilla was ‘studying.’ But sometimes, the weight of what Carmilla had witnessed, all the years and all the hurt and the pain and the love and the fear....the realization of this constantly hit Laura like a freight train, and she’d always try to understand but after a while Laura would just settle with the fact that she couldn’t. She couldn’t possibly fathom everything that Carmilla was. It was getting easier to accept that, but sometimes when Carmilla would appear beside Laura’s bed in the night surrounded by black smoke, all soft cries and tear streaked cheeks and shaking breaths as she crawled into Laura’s bed, Laura would want again so desperately to understand. By morning though, Laura would know that it was okay that she didn’t understand. Carmilla would give her a look that said _you’re here...it’s all I need_ and Laura would kiss her and ask her if she was alright with gentle eyes and words made heavy by sleep. 

Laura held out a pumpkin pastie to Carmilla, who took it with a grateful smile. “Want to go home?” Laura asked softly, leaning her head against Carmilla’s.

“In a minute,” Carmilla murmured, still petting the little thestral’s head.

Laura nodded, waiting patiently beside her, their hands still interlocked. Carmilla crouched down so she was eye level with the young thestral. “I have to go,” She whispered, so quiet that Laura couldn’t hear. The thestral wailed softly, as if she understood. Carmilla smiled softly, patting her head. “I’ll be back, don’t you worry,” Carmilla stood again, playfully yet gently shooing the little on away, encouraging her to follow her mother. Carmilla looked back to Laura and smiled softly, and Laura returned it. “Let’s go home,” the vampire agreed, nodding her head. Laura squeezed her had gently as they turned back towards the school.

“What did you tell her?” Laura asked after a few minutes, “the thestral,”

“I told her I’d be back, and not to worry,” She said with a little smile. She took a bite of her pastie and averted her eyes, as if she was embarrassed about the amount of words she’d spilled that morning. She probably was. 

“Hey,” Laura said gently, lifting her chin again. She pecked her lips softly. “I think it’s sweet that you look after them,” 

Carmilla was quiet for a moment. “We take care of each other,” she murmured, “they...they make me feel not as bad about what I am sometimes...it helps,”

Laura smiled lovingly, and nodded. Carmilla stopped for a moment, and Laura stopped beside her as Carmilla leaned forward to kiss her gently. They pressed their foreheads together for a moment after they parted, breathing deep, and slowly started up to the castle once again.


End file.
